Insect destroyer



26, 1952 E. H. WRIGHT 2,608,022.

INSECT DESTROYER Filed June 8, 1949 INVENTOR. f/A/v fl. Mmwr 147 7 OK/Vf Y Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INSECT DESTROYER Evan H. Wright, Birmingham, Mich.

Application June 8, 1949, Serial N0. 97,899

4: Claims.

This invention relates to'an insect destroyer,

and more particularly to an electric insect destr'oyer and catcher.

A primary object of the invention is to pro- 'vide an electric insect destroyer which eliminates the possibility of accident-1y receiving an electricalshocktherefrom;

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which attracts insects thereto: by the use of light and anodoriferous medium.

A further object of the invention is-to provide a catcher on the device which will catch the dead insects and. prevent the possibility of fires when the device is used in barns, sheds and hay lofts and will prevent the litter of dead-insects on the floor when used onporches-and inhomes.

A still further object of? the invention is to provide adevice: which has a low cost; of mania facture and is easy co-assemble. H

Qther objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following de :scription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. in which; I

Fig. l is a sideelevational View of the ii proved-insect destroyer;

Fig. 2 is asectional -vievr of online 2-2 of Fig.3; 7 V

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken. on line 3+3 the device taken of. Fig. 1;. and

Fig. 4 isv a sectional View taken on line 13 i ofFig.l. v I

Referring to the drawings, 1 have shown a top plate It, made orplasti-c or some electrically nonconductive. materialhaving acircular. shape; and flanged at its outer edge. The.- top plate I is provided with a central openinghaving upturned edges I Z- which: areadaptedto receive and frictionally engage-5a standard; lamp socket l4 which is provided wit-ha lightbulb t5; Con tact arms It, provided; with w'ire securing. means It, are secured tothe terminals or the lamp socket l4 atone end: are connected to two 2 opposite end. The posts 20 -=A and ZB B are electrically charged, every other one being charged positively, designated as Zil-A and the.

alternate remaining posts charged negatively and designated as 20-3. The lamp socket l4 and posts 2G+A and 20-=B are connected into an electrical circuit by means of electrical leads, ,A'

22 engaged by the Wire securing" means [8. housing 24 is secured to the top of the top plate It by screws 26, the housing enclosing the socket M and the electrical contact mem bers It. An eye bolt 28 is carried by the hous ing 24 from which the device may bexsuspended'.

The posts 20-A and 20-13" have shoulders 39' at either end, the upper shoulders seatingiagainst the surface of the top plate, [8 and. are secured there by means of nuts 32', two' of which per= form the double service of'securing the contact members [6' to the posts MFA: and 20-18. A b'ot' tom plate 34 made of plastic or some electrically nonconductive material is provided, secured against the lower shoulders 30 of the posts 201 A: and Zfl-B by nuts 36. is of a circular shape having a. downwardly turned outer portion ending in an outwardly' flanged.

the posts 29-Afand 20-13.- I} The cup 49 has-a raised portion t6" centrally locatedv on. its outer surface, the raised portion 43 being provided With a transverse groove 48 Wfiichehg ages wire 52 to secure the cup 44" to the bottom plate 3%. An odoriferous evaporating material may beplaced' in the cup 44. v I v Secured to the posts 2'0-A, Ibetween the top plate H! and the bottoni plate" 34; are a plu rality of-rin'g's' or fins 59". The are circuer't'ure 52 they will and are provided with a central; p and cut out portions 52! order that The bottom plate 3'5 not contact the posts 2ll-A. Alternately disposed between the fins 50 are another series of rings or fins 56 which are circular in shape and have a smaller outer diameter than the fins 50. The fins 56 are secured. to the posts ZG-A and are provided with a centrally located aperture and cut out portions 54 in order that they will not contact the posts 20-13. The fins 56 have a smaller outer diameter than the fins 5B and are covered by, but do not touch, the downwardly flanged portion of the fins 50.

In the assembly of this device, the fins 50 and 55 are secured to their respective posts -3 and 20-A within slots 60 provided on. the posts. The top plate [0, after having the lamp socket I4, lamp bulb [5, contact arms [6, and electrical wires 22 assembled thereto, is secured to the upper ends of the posts 20-A and 20-3. The housing 24 may now be attached to the upper surface of the top plate I0 by screws 26. The catch plate 40 and the bottom plate 34 are assembled and the bottom plate 34 secured to the lower ends of the posts 20-A and 20-B. The wire 42 is inserted into the apertures provided therefore, extending through the downwardly turned edge portion and over the catch plate 40, thereby locking the catch plate 40 between the ends of the wire 42 and the outwardly flanged edge 38 of the bottom plate 34. The cup 44 may now be filled with evaporating material and placed in position against the under surface of the bottom plate 34 and retained there by snapping the wire 42 into the groove 48 provided on the cup 44.

In the operation of this device, for instance in a dairy barn, the lamp is suspended by the eye bolt 28 and the electrical wires 22 connected with a source of electrical power. One set of fins carries a positive electrical charge and the other set of fins carries .a negative electrical charge. The heat from the lamp bulb evaporates the aromatic material contained in the cup which in its own right attracts insects present in the barn and when used in conjunction with the light attraction of the lamp bulb has a very successful luring effect upon the insects. An insect, to reach the light and odoriferous material, must pass between two of the fins, these being the only openings to the interior of the device. The fins are so positioned as to be so close together than evensmall insects cannot pass through these openings without touching two of the fins. As each adjacent fin is charged electrically opposite, the insect is electrocuted upon touching any two adjacent fins. Any 111- switch off the electrical current, unsnap the wire 42 and remove the cup, whereby access to the interior of the device maybe had through the central opening of the bottom plate 3 3. It is highly improbable that a person will get an electrical shock from this device unless there is a deliberate attempt to force the fingers between the fins. The fins 56 are covered by the flanged edges of the fins 50 so that they are protected from touching and rain.

Not only does this device attract and exterminate insects and bugs of all sorts, but as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings it provides an attractive and ornamental fighting fixture. The open louvered effect of the fins and the translucent or transparent property of the cup permit the lamp bulb to efiiciently light the surrounding area.

The device has been illustrated in a preferred form of the invention but it will be understood that various changes including the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and it is not my intention to limit its scope other than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An insect destroyer, comprising anelectric socket adapted to receive .a lamp bulb,"a cage supported by said socket having circumferentially spaced and alternately arranged positive and negative posts, a plurality of axially spaced fins carried by the positive posts, a plurality of fins carried by the negative posts and spaced between said first named fins, one group of fins having outer flanged edges extending outwardly and downwardly over the other group of fins and spaced therefrom, and electrical connections between said socket and said posts.

2. An insect destroyer, comprising a top plate, a bottom plate spaced axially from said top plate circumferentially spaced posts between said plates, axially spaced grooves in the outer surface of said posts, said grooves being alternately spaced axially with respect to an adjacent post, axially spaced metallic ring shaped'fins carried in the grooves of said posts, each fin contacting alternate posts only, alternate fins overlapping the outer edge of an adjacent fin, a light bulb surrounded by said fins, electrical connections for supplying an electrical current to said light bulb and said posts, an outwardly extending tray carried by said bottom plate, a cup carried by said bottom plate forming a bottom closure for said bottom plate, and a single means for'retaining said tray and said cup to said bottom plate.

3. An insect destroyer comprising, an electric socket adapted to receive a lamp bulb, an upper plate carried by said socket, a lower plate spaced extending flange depressed out of the plane offor holding the latter' within the recess of said bottom plate. 4. An insect destroyer comprising, an electric socket adapted to receive a lamp bulb, an upper plate carried by said socket, a plurality of depending posts carried by said upper plate and spaced circumferentially around said socket, said posts being alternately connected to positive and negative electric terminals, a plurality of axially spaced rings carried by said positive posts, a

plurality 01' rings carried by said negative posts and alternately spaced between said rings connected to said positive posts, the outer edges of one group of rings having flanges extending downwardly to at least the plane of said rings of the other group of rings and spaced outward- 1y therefrom.

EVAN H. WRIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 10 Number Name Date Bass Nov. 2, 1915 Frost Jan. 14, 1930 Frost May 17, 1932 Rittenhouse Nov. 27, 1934 Rovinsky Jan. 1, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Jan. 2, 1937- 

